Darebin Appropriate Development Association

Dear DADA Folk,

We met last night.  Notes and related documents attached.

Cheers, Maria

DADA

• 20160308-DADA-notes
• TheHonFionaRichardson

Darebin Appropriate Development Association: Protect Your Community
Inc. No. A0094111Q
Web: https://www.darebinada.org

Meeting Notes: 8th of March, 2016

Present: Marion Coffey, Keith Coffey, Chris Erlandsen, Maria Poletti, Mandy Baird, Sally Mendes, George Vitsentzos, Apologies: Stewart Midgley, Meryl Waugh, Craig Walters, Kay Wawn, Gavin Mann, John and Sara Fieschi

1. Business Arising:
a. Discussed other city councils plan for buying up houses to eventually convert into public open space. Action: Maria to do more research to bring back to the meeting. Stonnington Council
b. 748 to 750 Plenty Road, 4 stories, 22 apartments with some at 40 square metres. Action: Mandy to keep an eye on it. Ongoing
c. 672 Plenty Road, revised plans adding a story making it 4 at front, 5 at back, Action: Mandy and neighbours will send new objections on the amended plans. Done
d. Reply from the Minister’s office to Mandy’s emailed letter circulated and discussed Action: Mandy to reply in disgust to how condescending and deflective it is.
e. Follow-up with Robin Scott’s office. Maria called back and spoke to Robin’s assistant but there was nothing new. Action: Maria to call and ask to speak to Robin or for him to call back.
f. Discussion of lot consolidated sites over 1000 square metres or 1200 square metres. Also the interface is a concern that it isn’t integrated. Action: Craig to ask D Rudd about footprint on consolidated blocks and the status of garage
g. 137 Mansfield Street, 2nd day in VCAT, Member said she will visit the site and that we will all be invited to attend. No word yet of the visit date. Expect a decision in January. Member put a time limit on objectors to ask questions of expert witness. The member would not accept the number of objectors. James Livingston acting for Council asked only one question of the first expert witness. Action: Meryl to write to Darren Rudd after DADA is incorporated regarding the work of the council representative. The letter will have DADA imprimatur.
h. Maria found a variation in the Planning Committee minutes. Action: Maria to write to the CEO and CC Councilors after checking with Robert Phillips as to how this can happen.
i. Sally suggested we go to town planner courses and ask if final year students will do pro-bono work on behalf of objectors. Action: Sally
j. We need to open a DADA bank account Action: Craig to pursue opening a bank account with Bendigo Bank.
k. Letter from Fiona Richardson; circulate letter from Minister Wynne. Action: Maria to write a reply to Fiona express our deep disappointment of the Minister’s decision to not sign off on C152 that this means further poor impact on our streets from over development. Done Letter circulated and attached to this document.
l. Regular Meeting with Council Planning;No new meeting date yet but emailed sent to ask if it is OK to share submission via DADA website and for a new meeting time. Action: Maria to follow up. Done.
m. Suggested corruption by developers asking for specific members to hear their case and that somebody should collect the data and talk to the papers. Action: Maria to contact Lucas Clay from the age to ask if he will do the research.
2. DADA VCAT Member evaluation. Circulated draft for discussion and suggestions. Can add to website and collate data. Need somebody to do that. Action: Maria to prepare a trial on the website with the extra question added. Will send to Mandy for printing as well.
3. DADA Objector Handbook. Completed. Maria to send to Mandy to print and we will look at it next meeting
4. DADA how to vote card? Could be based on the data collected from planning committee meeting minutes. We hope new candidates will attend a DADA meeting to talk to us about their support for the anti overdevelopment issues in Darebin. Example circulated and discussed. Basic agreement to pursue the idea with the fine detail to be worked out as we know the candidates and get close to the election.
5. Regular Meeting with Council Planning; Monday 15th of February. Verbal report given by those who attended. Action: Maria to email D Rudd and ask that we have at least a one week notice.
6. Managing Residential Development Advisory Committee: Submission period closes at 5.00pm on Monday 14 March 2016. More detail in last set of notes, also sent to the network as separate email and listed on website blog. Maria has submitted for DADA.
7. From the papers: The article in the Herald Sun re the Birrell report discussed.
8. Planning Committee Meeting News
a. Council now preparing a map of where the objectors live. Example circulated. This is intended as a way of ranking objectors and disregarding the bulk objections we send. As yet no move to increase the trigger number for planning committee though planners and councilors not happy about the increase workload. Action: Ask that the map include all objectors.
9. Blog: Ideas for content welcome.
10. Objector Updates:
a. 13 Dean Street Preston, 27 objections including the close neighbours who door knocked others close by. Glossop employee advised on objections.
b. 55 David Street Preston; Won their VCAT Case. Congratulation!! Decision attached. VCAT Member: Christine Fong
c. 99 Helen Street, Northcote, 9 dwellings, two neighbours involved.
d. 72A Station Street, Planning application includes zero parking spaces for 20 dwellings on 5 stories on 529 square metres.
e. 27 Murphy Grove, going to VCAT on 11th July, 2 days, Statement of Grounds due on 31st of March
f. 303-305 Plenty Road Preston, Objectors from Swallow Street doing an extensive letter drop using DADA information and following our guidelines.
11. Other Business:
a. Apologies from Maria of the poor quality of the last notes. File was lost so notes were from memory.
b. Happy International Women’s day. Short discussion of women and poverty and lack of access to housing.

Next Meeting: 7.00pm, Tuesday, April 12th, at 33 Dean Street, Preston. | Post